Soul of the Shinobi: Prepare to Suffer
by fraise et creme
Summary: Living under the mechanics of a game, on paper, suggests that becoming ridiculously overpowered should be an easy venture. Then, why does almost every encounter reek of death and suffering? (In which a power that’s supposed to make life ridiculously easy actually makes a walk through the park unbearable) Gamer! SI OC with Soulsborne elements
1. I

**This is an idea that's been swimming in my head. It's a Gamer! OC Insert Reincarnation dealio with more Soulsborne mechanics rather than the traditional stats+perk point system. I probably won't really work on this until I make significant progress in Moonshine. If anyone wants to use or borrow stuff from this, shoot me a PM. Edit: Used an RNG to choose a starting gift and built a character around that lol.**

* * *

**Welcome to the Elemental Nations, a continent divided by massive effigies of disasters, both natural and man-made. You ****— yes, you! — have been chosen from an uncountable number of freshly deceased, murdered, or sacrificed souls to be gifted, or burdened by the prospect of living through another life in a world filled with amazing powers and horrifying monsters. You will be given the power known commonly in tropes as that of the "Gamer," allowing you to gain experience through the souls of those you murder, loot scattered throughout the world, and other miscellaneous achievements. Accruing enough experience will increase your level, which gives you points to allot into a set of stats, determined by your background. Would you like to know about your stats?**

The words floated before me in a misty wall that juxtaposed the endless void around me. That's right. I died. Why am I being reincarnated? I lived a good life, with no regrets. This is bullshit. I tried to turn away from the mist, but my lack of corporeal form evidently made that impossible. If I could, I'd be glaring angrily at the "yes" and "no" boxes at the bottom of the wall. Better not give this game the satisfaction. I focused on the "no" box.

**No? Well, that was probably a misclick, so let's jump right into the infodump. **

**Your first stat is **_**Vitality**_**, shortened to VIT, which determines your max HP.**

**The next stat is **_**Endurance, **_**shortened to END. It determines your stamina, burden load, and resistance to persistent **_**bleed**_** damage. **

**After that is **_**Strength,**_** shortened to STR. It determines your taijutsu damage scaling, critical rate, and the damage on weapons with STR-scaling.**

**The fourth stat is **_**Dexterity, **_**shortened to DEX. It determines the damage on weapons with DEX-scaling, stealth proficiency, and the casting speed of ninjutsu.**

**The fifth stat is **_**Resistance, **_**shortened to RES. It determines your natural defenses against physical, poison, and elemental damage. **

**The final stat is **_**Intelligence, **_**shortened to INT. It determines your chakra points, or CP, ninjutsu and fuinjutsu damage scaling and learning rate. It also determines the effectiveness of and resistance to ninjutsu.**

I "groaned." This whole game was looking to be a lot like that one game series where the player died thousands of times.

**Your base stats are determined by the background you choose for yourself. Would you like to learn about the different backgrounds? No, again? You should probably learn to click properly; that's pretty embarrassing. **

_**Martial Artist: **_

**VIT: 12**

**END: 14**

**STR: 14**

**DEX: 12**

**RES: 6**

**INT: 2**

_**Ninjutsu Specialist: **_

**VIT: 10**

**END: 12**

**STR: 5**

**DEX: 9**

**RES: 10**

**INT: 14**

_**Weapons Maniac: **_

**VIT: 10**

**END: 10**

**STR: 14**

**DEX: 13**

**RES: 7**

**INT: 6**

_**War Orphan: **_

**VIT: 13**

**END: 9**

**STR: 8**

**DEX: 7**

**RES: 14**

**INT: 9**

_**Nomad: **_

**VIT: 9**

**END: 12**

**STR: 9**

**DEX: 15**

**RES: 8**

**INT: 7**

_**Street Rat: **_

**VIT: 9**

**END: 14**

**STR: 9**

**DEX: 13**

**RES: 6**

**INT: 9**

_**All Rounder: **_

**VIT: 11**

**END: 10**

**STR: 10**

**DEX: 12**

**RES: 9**

**INT: 8**

_**Worse than Trash: **_

**VIT: 8**

**END: 10**

**STR: 10**

**DEX: 9**

**RES: 8**

**INT: 9**

I tried to choose, but the wall shifted before I could even click on a background.

**Before the next section, you have no choice but to learn about Natural Affinities, which can be chosen at "birth" or gained through training. They are as follows: **

_**Water**_**: You have a strong affinity to the water element, leading to a 10% increase to the damage and a 10% decrease in the chakra cost of all water-based ninjutsu. **

_**Earth**_**: You have a strong affinity to the earth element, leading to a 10% increase to the damage and a 10% decrease in the chakra cost of all earth-based ninjutsu. **

_**Fire**_**: You have a strong affinity to the fire element, leading to a 10% increase to the damage and a 10% decrease in the chakra cost of all fire-based ninjutsu. **

_**Lightning**_**: You have a strong affinity to the lightning element, leading to a 10% increase to the damage and a 10% decrease in the chakra cost of all lightning-based ninjutsu. **

_**Wind**_**: You have a strong affinity to the earth element, leading to a 10% increase to the damage and a 10% decrease in the chakra cost of all wind-based ninjutsu. **

**Now, will you be patient and let me explain everything before you halfhazardly make a choice? **

I glared at the two "yes" boxes that taunted me at the bottom of the wall.

**Moving on! The country in which you choose to be born may lead to different starting gifts and elemental affinities. It also determines which questlines are available to you at the start of the game. Would you like to learn about the different starting regions? **

Once again, there were two "yes" boxes at the bottom of the mist. What kind of game was this?

**Yes? Very good, you're actually learning. **

**Amegakure is a small, but industrious village that is known for both being trampled by the major villages around it as well as being birthplace to some of the most powerful shinobi in history, such as Hanzo of the Salamander and Uzumaki Nagato. **

**Natural Affinity choices: Water **

**Bonus Starting Gift: You automatically start with the following:**

_**No Raining on this Parade**_**: Growing up in perpetual rain has acclimated you to such environments. While under heavy rain, your vision is not obstructed and you gain a 50% stealth bonus. [+3 DEX]**

**Starting Gift choices:**

_**Toxic Personality**_**: Your relatives learned from Hanzo's legend and implanted the venom sac of a black salamander somewhere between your vital organs. You gain immunity to the poison debuff and damage, as well as the ability to imbue poison onto your weapons and certain jutsu. [+2 RES]**

_**Slippery**__**Assassin**_**: The Shinobi of Amegakure are highly sought-after for assassination missions. You gain a 10% boost to stealth scaling and a 50% boost to sneak attack damage. [+2 DEX]**

**Iwagakure is one of the five great shinobi countries. Surrounded by looming mountains, the village was built in a natural stronghold, allowing for the growth of a massive and complex system of carved buildings. The shinobi here are known for their rock-hard wills and defenses.**

**Natural Affinity choices: Earth, Fire**

**Starting gift choices:**

_**Human Volcano:**_** Iwagakure is rumored to be the birthplace of the Lava Release due to association with the Yonbi. You have access to Lava Release techniques, as well as both Fire and Earth Natural Affinities to start. You cannot gain more through training. [+2 INT]**

_**Living Sculpture**_**: Through generations of survival in the mountains, your skin's toughness now rivals that of the environment around you. You take 30% less damage from blunt weapon damage and taijutsu attacks. [+1 VIT, +1 END]**

_**Dust Bunny**_**: Due to interactions with the reigning Tsuchikage, you've been taught the infamous Dust Release. You have access to Dust Release techniques as well as Fire, Wind, and Earth Affinities to start. Mission failure leads to death and permanent loss of unspent souls on respawn. [+3 INT]**

_**Explosive Temper**_**: At a young age, you were conscripted into the Explosion Corps. You gain access to the Explosion Release as well as both Earth and Lightning Natural Affinities to start. You cannot gain more through training. You have a 25% chance of being born with mouths on your hands and chest. [+1 INT, +1 VIT]**

**Kirigakure is one of the five great shinobi countries. Rich with bloodlines and civil wars, Kirigakure hosts a wide range of Shinobi specializing in destructive ninjutsu and deadly sword techniques. The shinobi of Kirigakure are known for their outstanding bloodthirst.**

**Natural Affinity choices: Water, Fire**

**Starting Gift choices:**

_**S'boiling for a Fight**_**: Everyone is rightfully nervous about getting anywhere near you and any body of water. You have access to the Boil Release as well as both Water and Fire Natural Affinities to start. You cannot gain more through training. [+2 INT]**

_**Waterborne: **_**You are literally water. Congrats. You are of the Hozuki bloodline, granting an unnaturally strong Water Natural Affinity, leading to a 30% increase to the damage, a 30% decrease in the chakra cost of all water-based ninjutsu, and immunity to all water-based damage. You cannot gain any other affinities through training. [+3 INT]**

_**Ice, Ice, Baby**_**: You are a member of the illustrious clan of traps, the Yuki clan. Your overly feminine appearance is coupled nicely with your frosty disposition. You have access to Ice Release, as well as both Water and Wind Natural Affinities to start. You cannot gain more through training. [+1 DEX, +1 INT]**

_**Have an Osteo-blast!**_**: You're one of the savage Kaguya clansmen! Have fun literally having a bone to pick with your enemies. You gain the Dead Bone Pulse kekkei genkai. You forgo any Natural Affinities. [+2 STR, +1 RES]**

_**Sharply styled**_**: Like most of the Shinobi of Kirigakure, you aspire to be one of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist. You deal 30% extra damage with bladed weapons and 50% extra sneak attack damage. You gain easy access to [Legendary Swordsman] questlines. Your teeth are also abnormally sharp. [+2 STR, +2 DEX]**

**Konohagakure is one of the five great shinobi villages as well as the first hidden village. Surrounded by a thick semi-manmade forest, it was long considered the strongest and most peaceful of all the hidden villages. The shinobi of Konoha are known for their diverse bloodlines and their strong sense of teamwork. **

**Natural Affinity choices: Fire, Wind, Lightning, Earth**

**Starting Gift choices:**

_** Beyond 20/20**_**: The Hyuga clan fits the trope of the hyper-traditional noble clan very well. You have the Byakugan, which allows you to see chakra points as well as 359 degrees of vision. Your taijutsu attacks have increased range and chakra point reduction on hit. You have an 80% chance of being branded with a Caged Bird Seal [+1 STR, +1 INT]**

_**Theft at First Sight**_**: The Uchiha are offshoots of the progenitor of chakra, meaning that they have an innate, often unnecessary want to be a significant part of any story. You have the Sharingan, which grants you the ability to see chakra and its colors, read and predict the actions of others, and memorize and replicate anything you see, including ninjutsu and taijutsu. [+1 DEX, +1 INT]**

_**Killer's Best Friend**_**: Members of the Inuzuka clan is known for their synergy with their nin-ken, as well as strong ties to their base animal instincts. You gain a nin-ken partner for life, as well as access to Inuzuka techniques. [+3 STR]**

_**Buzz-are Adventure: **_**The Aburame clan is made up of people who use their bodies as nests for parasitic insects in a surprisingly synergetic manner. You receive 30% less damage from all poison-based attacks. You also gain access to Aburame clan techniques. [+2 RES, +1 INT]**

_**Troublesome**_**: The Nara clan is made up of the laziest geniuses ever. They are well known for their naming scheme and strong bonds with the Yamanaka and Akimichi clans. You gain access to Shadow Manipulation techniques. [+4 INT, -2 END]**

_** Brainblast**_**: The Yamanaka clan accounts for most, if not all of the village's florists and psychologists. They are well known for their naming scheme and strong bonds with the Nara and Akimichi clans. You gain access to Yamanaka techniques. [+1 INT, +1VIT]**

_**Big-Boned**_**: Full of well-mannered gluttons, the Akimichi's are rumored to control all of Konoha's culinary businesses. They are well known for their naming scheme and strong bonds with the Yamanaka and Nara clans. You gain access to Body Expansion techniques and an incredible appetite. [+1 VIT, +1 END]**

_**Clanless:**_** You're just an average shinobi in a village full of mutated freaks. You start out with 200% ryo and have unspecified advantages when dealing with merchants.**

**Kumogakure is one of the five great shinobi villages and is rumored to be the birthplace of the Sage of Six Paths and his less significant brother. It is both the most militant and technologically advanced village. **

**Natural Affinity choices: Lightning, Wind, Water**

**Starting Gift choices:**

_**Swift Sparrow Infinity**_**: You're fast, like naturally fast, without the need for any nature transformations or fuinjutsu. You have the Swift Release. [+3 DEX]**

_**Thunderstruck**_**: You have an abnormally strong attunement to Lightning, granting you a 30% increase to the damage and a 30% decrease in the chakra cost of all lightning-based ninjutsu. You cannot gain any other affinities through training. You also have access to the Lightning Armor technique (Req: 35 STR, 45 END, 40 VIT, 30 INT. Failure to meet the minimum stat requirements leads to permanent crippling.) [+1 STR +1 END, +1 VIT]**

_**Laser Light Show**_**: Flow like the ocean, strike like a thunderbolt! You gain access to the Storm Release, as well as both Water and Lightning Natural Affinities. You cannot gain more affinities through training. [+2 INT]**

_**Natural Insulant**_**: Years of constant storms and angry lightning users have lead to a unique mutation in the rare Lava Release that manifests in a rubber-like substance. You gain both Fire and Earth Nature Affinities, as well as immunity to lightning-based damage. You cannot gain more affinities through training. [+2 RES, +1 INT]**

**Sunagakure is one of the five great shinobi villages and often considered the weakest. It miraculously was established and "thrives" in the harsh desert environment. Its main exports are poison afflictions and mission contracts.**

**Natural Affinity choices: Wind, Earth**

**Starting Gift choices:**

_**Polarizing Worldview: **_**3 out of 5 recorded leaders of this village had the innate skill in metal manipulation, so your coincidental ownership of the same ability must mean something. You have the Magnet Release and both Wind and Earth Nature Affinities. You cannot gain more affinities through training. [+1 VIT, +1 INT]**

_**Cremative Imagination**_**: In a place as a desert, you have the ability to make things worse for everyone around you by actually desiccating them. You have the Scorch Release and both Fire and Wind Nature Affinities. You cannot gain more affinities through training. [+1 DEX, +1 INT]**

_**Eternal Art**_**: Suna's puppeteer forces are very well known for their impeccable chakra control and intricate knowledge of herb-based poisons. You gain the Chakra String technique and the ability to design combat puppets. [+2 DEX]**

_**Fan of Combat**_**: The shinobi of Sunagakure are the only ones, save for Madara Uchiha, who figured out how to amplify the strength and scope of their ninjutsu using fans. When using war fans, you gain a 50% boost to all wind-based damage and have a 20% higher chance of inflicting **_**bleed**_**. [+1 INT, +1 STR]**

**Now you can choose your background and birth country. Thank you for being so patient. **

The wall then expanded, surrounding "me" completely as all of the backgrounds, countries, and starting gifts were listed before me. Immediately, I crossed Konoha off the list. No way was I going anywhere near the madness of that place. Most peaceful vill.

age my ass. I'd rather go to a place where I know everyone is out to kill me.

With more deliberation, I waved away Suna and Kumo. Between bloodthirsty children and obnoxious man-children, there were just too many people in either village that, despite loving in written form, I would hate to actually meet in any capacity.

That just left Ame, Kiri, and Iwa. Looking back on things, there's literally no desirable place to live in the Elemental Nations. The talking mist wall didn't even tell me what time period I'd be born in. Can I still ask questions?

"Hey, um, Game Manual, what time period will I be born in?"

What felt like hours passed before another wall swirled up in front of the info walls.

**Yes.**

That's it? Really?

**Stop being a little bitch and choose already. No one ever knows when they'll be born. You're not special. **

With that, the small wall disappeared, leaving me alone to make the biggest decision of my life. Now, I could be super deliberate about my choice and bring back the countries I waved off and make intricate pros and cons list for each one. Or, I could leave things up to fate.

I immediately started flailing the cursor around randomly before stopping and clicking.

**You have chosen [Sharply Styled]. Are you sure?**

I clicked the yes button, and all of the other countries disappeared, leaving me with the backgrounds and Kiri. Now, the real choice, min-max or meme-max?

"Hey game, can I have a coin?"

A mist wall depicting a coin with a smiley face appeared in front of me. I clicked the flip button and watched as the coin shot upwards before falling back down, revealing a flat-toned face. No **[Worse Than Trash]** variant memes then. I clicked on **[Weapons Maniac]** background.

**You will now be given a randomly generated avatar and fruit-based name based on your choice of background and country. Have fun.**

Wait, fruit-based? I don't want any pun names you son of a-

* * *

**Name: Kakioka Shunsui**

**Level: 10**

**EXP: 320/829**

**Affinity: Water**

**Age: 7**

**Sex: Male**

**Stats**

**HP: 403**

**CP: 73**

**VIT: 10**

**END: 10**

**STR: 16**

**DEX: 15**

**RES: 7**

**INT: 6**

**Gifts:**

**[Sharply Styled]: 30% extra damage with bladed weapons and 50% extra sneak attack damage.**


	2. II

**I know I said I wouldn't work on this, but this update kinda just happened. The chapter's still mostly unedited lol. Again, if you want to use any mechanics from the story, feel free to PM me. **

* * *

I woke up to musty darkness and the sound of dripping. The ground around me felt like slicked craggy stone. Blearily rubbing my eyes, I got up and hobbled towards the flow of air that could only be an exit. The cave opened up to fog-blanketed marshlands. Once I stepped outside, familiar, translucent letters flashed in the sky.

**—Hidden Village Outskirts—**

Well, that's convenient. I followed the vague stone path along the marsh, trying my best to endure the biting cold. Then, I heard an angry shout as a figure jumped out of the fog and slashed at me.

**[HP 380/403]**

I instinctually rolled back as the man went for a second slash with his knife. When I made eye contact with him, a red bar appeared over his head. Dodging another slash, I thanked whatever twisted diety gave me my stats as I threw a telegraphed hook at his head, lowering his bar by 22 points. After four more cycles of dodging and punching, he lay on the ground unconscious. His knife glowed at his side. I picked it up, gaining a **[Makeshift Shiv] ** with a base damage of 30. Just to be sure, I plunged his knife into his throat and listened to him gargle as his breath left his body. Huh, I guess the first kill isn't really that traumatizing.

**[+19 EXP, +1 Bloodlust]**

As I pushed further down the road, I killed four more beggars, gaining a total of 76 EXP and 2 more points of bloodlust, which the game still refused to give me an explanation for. Finally, the heavy fog eventually lifted, giving me the wonderful view of an endless, tree-mottled swamp. Before me a massive network of cylindrical stone buildings and an archway leading into a large ramp that led into the largest building. At the gate, a man wearing a faded blue flack jacket over a black muscle shirt glared down at me.

"Who're you, brat?"

"Kakioka Shunsui. I seek passage into Kirigakure."

His eyes bored into mine for several minutes before he scoffed.

"You're barely blooded. We're at war, brat. The village has no need for the weak. Your kind can scrounge in the swamps for all I care."

I sighed, pulling out my bloodied knife.

"Listen, I've killed five men on the way here today, all of them being twice my size. I'm anything but weak at this point."

"The weak can always kill the weak," he scoffed, "but if you're so keen on proving your worth, I'll grant you access if you can bring me to my knees."

"And if I kill you?"

He barked out a cruel laugh.

"If you kill me, then you really are strong, but that's never gonna happen."

With a battle cry, he pulled out a zanbatō and slammed it between us. The passage behind me became shrouded with mist as a red bar covered the bottom of my vision.

** –Tanaka Yuudai, Gatekeeper of the Mist–**

** -HP: 550/550**

I dropped to the ground as he swung his massive blade in a wide arc and made a lunging strike, dealing 46 damage. I quickly made 2 more strikes in succession, dealing 102 more damage. Before I could dodge back, he kicked me in the gut, propelling my smaller frame several feet back.

**[HP:297/403]**

Holy fuck that hurt. I don't even want to know for how much his sword would hit. With a grunt of exertion, I got back on my feet just in time to roll out of the way of his zanbatō, which he embedded into the ground. As he struggled to pull it out, I slashed twice at his right arm, dealing 94 more damage. He yelped in pain as my second slash ruptured one of the veins on his arm. I internally cheered when I saw his bar drop by another 100 points. Giving up on his sword, he flashed through several hand signs before spitting a small bullet of compressed water at me at point-blank range. Without any time to dodge, I took the hit directly in the chest. I let out a strangled scream as I felt several ribs crack with a squelching snap.

**[HP:188/403]**

"Alright, you're tough, brat. I'd normally let you in, but your stupid hit to my arm really pissed me off," he growled, flipping through the same set of hand signs.

Before he finished, I desperately ran up to him and wildly slashed as many times as I could, getting in another four and dealing another 197 damage. He released another bullet at me, this time laced with his blood before falling to one knee. Again, I took the hit directly and grunted as it staggered me.

**Critical hit!**

** [HP:22/403]**

I spit a globule of blood to the ground as my legs threatened to buckle. He was panting and grinning savagely at me.

"You're a tough piece of shit, kid," he bowed his head. "Let me live or kill me; I've got no more energy left. As the victor, it is your choice."

I stared at his mangled form. On one side, killing him is morally wrong, and I don't know how rejecting my own predisposed morals would affect me in the long run. On the other side, there was no way he'd actually be fit to do anything in the foreseeable future since I've somehow rendered his arms useless. Wordlessly, I approached him before placing my hand on his shoulder.

"Getting soft on**–**"

I cut him off as I plunged my shiv into the nape of his neck.

**[+3000 EXP, +10 Bloodlust, Basic Zanbatō added to inventory.]**

He then slumped to the ground. I too fell on my butt as the exhaustion caught up to me. With another groan, I pushed myself back onto my feet and grabbed his shoulders, dragging him up the massive ramp with me and leaving a trail of smeared blood.

Halfway up, 4 men in white stylized masks appeared before me.

"Did you kill this man?"

Great, guess our fight got loud enough to attract the local law enforcement.

"Yeah. He wouldn't let me gain entry to your village."

"And why do you wish to enter? For all we know, you could be a spy. Trust runs thin in times of war."

Then, my mouth, for some reason, ran on autopilot.

"I'm pretty sure my father was a shinobi from this village. I simply wish to carry on his service, and possibly take it to new heights as one of the Mist's Seven Swordsmen."

Without another word, one of the Hunter Nin grabbed me as another decapitated Yuudai and threw his body over the side of the ramp in one motion.

"We will take you to refugee housing. You will have an audience with the Mizukage along with other candidates tomorrow morning. Do _not_ leave your assigned residence."

My vision blurred before I found myself roughly thrown onto a bedroll. I quickly drifted to sleep and woke up in a familiar void surrounded by a wall of mist filled with information.

* * *

**Name: Kakioka Shunsui**

**Title: None**

**Level: 10**

**EXP: 3418/829**

**Age: 7**

**Sex: Male**

**Stats**

**HP: 403**

**Stamina: 91**

**CP: 73**

**VIT: 10**

**END: 10**

**STR: 16**

**DEX: 15**

**RES: 7**

**INT: 6**

**Bloodlust: 13/100**

**Gifts:**

**[Sharply Styled]: 30% extra damage with bladed weapons and 50% extra sneak attack damage.**

**Inventory:**

**Makeshift Shiv: 35 dmg, STR E, DEX E**

**Basic ****Zanbatō****: 101 dmg, STR D, DEX C**

**-Requirements: STR 17, DEX 15**

**Ryo: 0**

**Level up?**

I stared at my stats and groaned as they were just short of being able to use my new weapon effectively. The fact that there was no auto-leveling was also a bit of a hassle. I lazily clicked yes and put 1 point each into Strength, Dexterity, and Intelligence. Bringing my stats up to the following:

**Name: Kakioka Shunsui**

**Title: None**

**Level: 13**

**EXP: 703/1289**

**Age: 7**

**Sex: Male**

**Stats**

**HP: 403**

**Stamina: 91**

**CP: 78**

**VIT: 10**

**END: 10**

**STR: 17**

**DEX: 16**

**RES: 7**

**INT: 7**

**Bloodlust: 13/110**

XXXX

I was woken up the next morning by the door of my temporary residence being slammed open.

"Up and at'em, maggots!" a rough looking man shouted from the doorway. "Your assessment with the recruiter is in 5 minutes. Any of you show up late will be executed promptly."

Definitely not the reign of the Godaime then. Luckily, whatever entity forced me into this world failed to impart the ability to grow tired onto my wretched soul. I rolled out of my bedroll and walked out of the door to see familiar letters flash against the cavernous roof above me.

—**Kirigakure—**

The man looked at me, scoffed, and began walking, not bothering to wait for the others who were still waking up.

"At least one of you understands promptness. Follow me. I'll take you to your evaluation. The others can either catch up, or become target practice."

His lackadaiscal pace quickened up slightly to a faster gait, just short of jogging. My tiny legs had trouble keeping up with his longer strides, and by the time he stopped in front of the building, my stamina gauge was nearly empty. Four of the teenagers from the barracks caught up to me, but I never took the time to see how many there were in the morning.

"You have 10 seconds to present yourself."

He stepped out of the way of the door and faded into the surrounding fog. I squared my shoulders and stepped into a large circular room with a carved, dome-like ceiling. There was a raised dais in front of me, on which three men stood, brandishing strange-looking blades. However, the dim lighting made it rather difficult for me to make out the details of their faces.

"Only five, huh," the figure on the left said, leaning against his thin, needle-like sword.

"Heh, sucks to be you guys," the one of the right continued, "the lazy ones got to be fodder."

The one in the center stabbed his massive cleaver into the ground before talking.

"You go-getters have to take the honors students' test," he said, leaning forward, revealing is sharp toothed grin and tattooed face. "We're on temporary leave from out bloodbath to find new recruits. If ya do well enough, one of us might even take you as an apprentice."

In one motion, he pulled the sword out and holstered it onto his back. The man on the left stepped forward also stepped forward, revealing his hunter nin mask.

"Kekeke, not me. I don't have time for a brat."

He pulled up his giant needle and slipped back into the shadows before vanishing completely.

"Well, if Kuriare's out, then I am too," the one on the right. "I'm Munashi Jinpachi, by the way. It'd be a shame if I blew one of you guys up."

"Guess that just leaves me," the remaining man said, leaning onto his cleaver. "Whoever wins can learn my name. It won't matter if you know it in the Pure World, after all."

While the others were staring at him, I tried to take the initiative by pulling out my zanbatō and swinging at the teen on my right. He screamed as he was disarmed, literally.

**[103 damage, enemy arm severed]**

**[+42 EXP, +2 Bloodlust, -3 Sanity]**

His health bar depleted to 0 as he fell to the ground. The other three stared at me in shock.

"What? I thought it was that kind of test? They had all these talks about 'survivors,' 'Pure World,' and all that jazz."

After saying so, I 'paused' and sorted through the various settings in the menu. Why the hell am I not fazed by what I just did? Was it the game helping me filter any trauma? Game? Answers?

**[Tutorial arbitrarily locked. Do more and you will find out.]**

I was then forcefully ejected from the pause menu. Then the still-unnamed proctor began to laugh. It was a cruel sound, the harsh cachinnations reverberating around the room.

"Right now, brat. You're my favorite. That bloodlust will make you go far. I heard you managed to kill Tanaka at the gate. The rest of these brats fought him before you, but no one took things as far as you."

"Wait, I don't want to be here. I just wanted to be a ninja, not have to kill my comrades," the boy next to the one I murdered began to stammer. "I'm getting out of here."

He began to run back towards the mist blocked doorway. However, before he could take his fourth step, he stumbled as his torso fell to the ground, with his legs following promptly after. My eyes boggled when I saw the number 622 appear under his empty health bar. When I turned back around, the proctor on the same level as us, somehow jumping from the dais, down to the potential escapee and back in front of us in the span of seconds.

"Here's my first lesson. You're not comrades until you're blooded. Shorty here," he nodded his head towards me, "Is the closest to becoming a 'comrade.' I had a whole list of exercises ready, but the two deaths kind of screwed things up, so I'm making a new entrance exam."

I felt liquid rushing from behind me as the blood flowed from the corpse by the door and into the man's cleaver.

"If you manage to kill the brat, I'll personally get you an apprenticeship with the Swordsman of your choosing."

"A-and if we lose?" the lanky teen to my left asked.

The proctor grinned again, baring his sharp teeth.

"Well then, that just means you're not worth teaching, aren't you? The brat's gotta be half your age."

He then faded into mist before appearing on the overlooking dais again, leaving a shroud of heavy fog around the room.

There were two clangs as the man tossed two tanto onto the floor in front of the remaining aspirants. Guess that means it's time to start. I immediately swung my zanbatō to my left in a wide arc, however, the boy lunged under my sweep and grabbed his sword in a surprising show of skill. I tried to swing again, but the combination of the sword's impressive weight and my lack of stamina in my slowly refilling bar made it excessively easy for the two to jump out of the way.

They landed at the opposite side of the arena and gave each other sideways glances before lunging at me from opposite sides. I was able to dodge the attack from the right but unfortunately left myself completely open to the one from the left.

**[HP: 331/403]**

I swung my sword wildly at the boy on the left, grazing him as he tried to roll away. I dealt another 102 damage and brought his health bar down to roughly a third. He growled at me before lunging at me again. Keeping in mind of the boy on my right, I rolled backward, into the mist.

Above me, a stylized icon of a closed eye appeared as I crouched in the mist. Surprisingly, I was able to make out the rough shapes of my two targets as they ran around the room, stabbing randomly into the mist. This must be the whole stealth thing from the intro. I prowled around the mist until I was near one of the shapes before lashing out with a power attack that consumed the entirety of my stamina bar.

**[Critical! Sneak attack! +50% damage]**

I grinned as 175 appeared under his full health bar, depleting it completely.

**[+44 EXP, +4 Bloodlust]**

Then, the icon changed to an open eye as I felt a stabbing pain in my left shoulder. I stumbled out of the mist and groaned as my lack of stamina made it impossible for me to actually dodge the follow-up slash.

**[HP: 179/403, left arm injured, weapon scaling halved!]**

I switched out my zanbatō for my trusty shiv as fast as whatever mechanics governed my life allowed me, but was once again unable to dodge as he slashed me diagonally across the chest.

**[HP: 102/403]**

Luckily, my stamina bar was full, making it much easier for me to dodge out of the way of his third swipe. While his back was turned, I stabbed at him, creating a loud squelching noise as I quickly forced my shiv into his lower back and forcing him onto his stomach as I applied more pressure. The numbers 10 and 42 appeared under his bar in rapid succession, depleting it to 0. As I stumbled back onto my feet, more words flashed across my vision.

**[+62 EXP, +6 Bloodlust, -2 Sanity]**

As I stared up at the Swordsman, he made a one-handed sign and dispersed the mist. I was actually able to track his movement this time as he casually hopped off of the dais. He grinned at me before clapping a hand on my injured shoulder.

**[HP: 82/403]**

Seriously? Did it really damage me that much?

"You're a natural, kid. I was expecting those two to beat you, to be honest. They were here for a couple of weeks longer than you, after all," his grin broadened as he squeezed my shoulder not too gently.

**[HP: 75/403]**

I grit my teeth as I felt more blood trickle down my arm.

"Hoh? You've got the teeth too. If such a thing as Fate existed, I'd say that you were destined to be my disciple."

I scoffed and spit some blood onto the exposed tip of his blade, which greedily drunk it up. I then looked up at him expectantly.

"Well, does that mean I've earned your name then, wielder of the [**Kubikiribōchō]**."

He looked down at me for another moment before answering.

"The name's Biwa Juuzō. You can call me shishō. No teacher choice for you. Welcome to the Mist's Kenjutsu Corps. Hope you last more than a month."

* * *

**Name: Kakioka Shunsui**

**Title: Kenjutsu Corps Genin**

**Level: 13**

**EXP: 851/1289**

**Age: 7**

**Sex: Male**

**Stats**

**HP: 403**

**Stamina: 91**

**CP: 78**

**VIT: 10**

**END: 10**

**STR: 17**

**DEX: 16**

**RES: 7**

**INT: 7**

**Bloodlust: 23/110**

**Sanity: 195/200**

**Inventory:**

**Makeshift Shiv: 35 dmg, STR E, DEX E**

**Basic ****Zanbatō****: 101 dmg, STR D, DEX C**

**-Requirements: STR 17, DEX 15**

**Ryo: 20**


End file.
